10+ Graphic Design Career Facts and Stats All Graphic Designers Should Know
And for those that have a creative side to them and have some skills or experience with some graphic design app or software. Or even if not, but are considering a career in graphic design. Well now is an exciting and prime time to get involved with and provide graphic design services to all the people and businesses that need them.
And to get you started and see you off into a successful graphic design career, (so you can say, I'm an artist) here's 10+ graphic design facts that all graphic designers, logo makers, illustrators and artists should know about when carving a career in the graphic design industry.
1: The demand for graphic designers will only increase in the decade.
By 2020 there will be a 13% increase in the demand for graphic designers of all kinds according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's simply because more and more businesses are starting up now thanks to the Internet making more opportunities and how easy it is for anyone to start a business today. And graphic designers are going to be in demand for most of those businesses!
2: You don't need a 5 year degree in graphic design.
Despite what those that went to University and got a degree in graphic design will tell you, you don't need a 5 year degree in graphic design and art in order to get a job as and earn money with a full time graphic design career. Truth be told, most buyers of your services or even employers, will only care about what you can do for them then and there. If you are someone that is self motivated and you are a fast learner, you can pick up tons of free info and how-to's from books, magazines and of course, many free online courses and video tutorials etc.
3: No graphic designers = No marketing and advertising.
Everything you've ever purchased online and offline probably made use of a graphic designer at some where along the line. Literally everything you buy anywhere, from the label on the side of a soda bottle to that huge billboard you see driving to work every day or even on the side of a bus to the back of your train ticket. They all made use of a graphic designer for that.
4: You can find self employment as a professional graphic designer.
Do you like to work for yourself and be your own boss? If so and you are the creative type with some skills in graphic design such as with some software. And you know how to market, advertise and promote your skills and services to the right people and can meet most peoples demands and wants. Then you can find long lasting work as a self employed graphic designer and make a good living (better than most) just using your laptop from anywhere you want in the world!
5: You can bank some serious cash as a designer.
Did you know that some big businesses will pay thousands for just a simple logo design? When you know how important a logo can be to a business you'll understand why! Some can pay thousands for other artwork and branding for things like brochures, flyers, leaflets etc etc. Since it can be cheaper to buy the services of a freelance graphic designer to pay them once off instead of using a full time in house one that's on a full time salary.
6: Niche graphic designers can earn more than those on 9-5 jobs.
If your creativity in graphic design focuses more on one industry, eg; sports, and you can find work in that industry, for eg; football teams etc, then you can expect to earn more than someone that works a regular full time 9-5. That's because people who specialize in doing graphic design for teams and clubs etc are working in a niche that will pay more than just getting a job as a graphic designer or illustrator for some ad company or something.
7: Graphic designers can become famous celebrities.
Do you have an Apple iPad or iPhone? Did you know that the art work that was used on it was made by a guy who has become world famous because of it? Sir Jonathan Ive is famous for the artwork used on Apple products. And Storm Thorgerson created all the artwork for famous rock bands like Black Sabbath and even Pink Floyd. Put simply, some of the most iconic landmarks around the world in the past century and beyond was created by a humble graphic designer!
And now for some more tips! Those are 7 great tips to know about g/d but here's some more facts and statistics about the g/d industry that are worth a mention as much as they are worth knowing.
- 8: The term "Graphic Design" was first coined by William Addison Dwiggins way back in 1922.
- 9: It wasn't until 1980 when the first computer graphic design software was invented.
- 10: The actual correct terminology and meaning of "graphic" is "to create a clear picture". How graphic is that!?
- 11: Want a graphic design job? So do millions and it's one of the top 25 most craved for jobs that people want.
Responses (12)
It's pretty amazing that the coin was termed back in 1922. I would have imagined that it was more in the 1940's or so. But you are right, without graphics designers, there isn't any marketing or advertising. They're extremely important because they create logos/images which are essential to engage with the audience.
Possibly, but not very likely. I went to college for graphic design, and a lot of my peers were well aware of the fact that anyone who managed to land a job after college wasn't really going to be making much. Well, they wouldn't be making much relative to the cost of living in New York City, which is where I went to college.
I think the advent of personal computers played a big role in influencing a lot of people to pursue graphic design, myself included. Anyone with a relative knack for artistic creativity and a personal computer inevitably ended up downloading a pirated copy of Photoshop. A few tutorials here and there, and a lot of people gained an interest in turning a hobby into a profession.
High paying Job?. yeah if you are worth it, good graphic designers are hard to find .
I'm glad that someone said it before I had to. Even as I read the first point about the demand for graphic designers increasing, I thought to myself, "That means practically nothing when the market is absolutely overflowing with so-called graphic designers." Anyone with a pirated copy of Photoshop and beginner's knowledge in using it is considering themselves a graphic designer. Just look at the market on Fiverr. People are offering ridiculous services for insanely low prices and it's devastating to the freelance graphic design market. The competition is incredibly stiff and the pay is low, which makes me honestly feel like dropping the work entirely sometimes.
As for the second one, I would agree that getting a degree might not be that necessary, but having a formal education certainly helps, or at the very least knowing what type of education to get for yourself if you choose self education is also very important. I see a lot of designers focus only on learning the software without understanding fundamentals and their designs might come out looking alright but there will always be something a little off and without the proper mentor they won't always get the training to figure out what mistake they are making.
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